Posted by | Cyrena Rose
I LOVE MUSIC, ANY KIND OF MUSIC. I LOVE MUSIC, JUST AS LONG AS IT’S GROOVY!
The O’Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams, William Powell (January 20, 1942 – May 26, 1977), Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O’Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
The O’Jays had their first hit with “Lonely Drifter”, in 1963. In spite of the record’s success, the group had been considering quitting the music industry when Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O’Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with “Back Stabbers” (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with “Love Train“.
Original member William Powell died of cancer in 1977 at age 35 and was replaced twice before Eric Grant joined the group in 1992.
For your viewing pleasure, a video of their hit song I Love Music has been added along with the full episode of The O’Jays on TVOne’s UNSUNG, enjoy:
[youtube id=”MGA3CZr2VQs” width=”600″ height=”350″]
[youtube id=”bx2RlcEuiMw” width=”600″ height=”350″]What are your thoughts?
